Volume 7, Issue 2, February 2019

INTERNATIONAL
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ISSN-3a21-706S

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Indexed,Peer Reviewed (Refereed), UGC Approved Journal

Volume 7^1 Issue 2a February 2019

www.ijellh.com

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878

N.Bharath

Ph.D Research Scholar,

Madurai Kamaraj University College,

Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
bharathnehru 14 @ gmail.com

Dr. K. Mohan
Associate Professor,

Madurai Kamaraj University College,

Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Emerging trends in language learning through Comics, Games and TV series

Abstract: In the development of language study for the second language learners it was hard
to grab the attention of the Learners; especially youths. They tend to deviate from the lessons
due to monotonous lectures and activities which are nothing but the same from place to
places. This even questioned the impact of top down method of language teaching. In recent
trends MAE (mobile acquisition language) gets predominant, that the communication is
mostly based on emojis and expressions where the communication itself is nullified. In this
postmodern scenario, youngsters are in some or other way get attracted to entertainment
commodities like Games, Comics and Comical movies and TV series. Though these are time
consumers and time passing activities; these are addictions for the modern youths. This paper
focuses on the hypothesis of how this entertainment commodities help in developing English

language Teaching.

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Keywords: MAL, Edutainment, Changing trends, Learning burden. Techno learning

Introduction

In 1950’s due to the development of technology and excess use of computers which
have later became part of our day to day life is the beginning stage of language learning
through the help of technology. Though it began with basic commuting work with computers;
later it became the supreme power in which super computers got evolved. In recent times
Artificial intelligence is a growing trend in which computers can be our day to day life
companion. One such exemplification of artificial intelligence is the voice recognition
software in our android and ios. Alexa is one other home appliance controller that was
launched by Amazon. To grow up with this fast moving world is adapting to the change,
which is through the technological growth. Here rises the question: what it has to do with
ELT and Second language learning?

Though the trends are changing, teachers ought to facilitate the Learners on the basis
of education through entertainment. It has been a misconception that visual media deviates or
has a debilitating effect on the Learners. As we are adapting the change it is necessary to
validate the importance and interest of the Learners. Nowadays in one or other way Learners
are involved in developing interest over visual media, they tend to watch movies that they
don’t even understand. Here they create the possibility of learning the language; they tend to
understand the attractive words but as well as they understand the movie with their little
knowledge of the language. This medium creates interest within the learners to look on to the
details rather than to look the movie in a haphazard manner.

I know we all think that we are immortal; we are supposed to feel that way, we’re graduating
but our brief four years in the school... what makes life valuable is that it doesn’t last forever.
What makes it precious is that it ends. We know that now more than ever. And I say it....

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Today of all days is to remind us that time is luck so don’t waste it living someone elses’ life.
Make yours count for something. Fight for what matters to you. No matter what... ‘Cause
even if we fall short.... What better way is there to live (Gwen) - The Amazing Spiderman 2

Whoever saw the movie would not have skipped this part of how Gwen delivers her
Graduation address. This attracts the audience even if they don’t understand the meaning they
tend to understand the crux of the statement.

Research design and result

In the changing trends of Learners’ interest it have been found that they show more
interest on what that entertains the most than what that teaches them the most. To cope up
with the changing interests and changing generations it is appropriate that teachers gets
updated accordingly with the Learners. This common interest of Learners forms a discourse
community that is they get to share their ideas with their peer group where learning takes
places. This can be co-related to Cricket fans, even if they do not understand the commentary
they get to know about the match and the nuances involved in it. To understand cover drive
for a cricket fan no teacher is needed.

In the contemporary era it is mandatory to concentrate on learning strategies; this does
not only involve time management but also involves several other factors like interests, less
complexity (simplicity) and clarity. Learners lack patience these days, they always wanted to
adopt things so fast that they can run in accordance with the fast moving world. Excess use of
mobile phone and several other gadgets incorporated within the Learners about the
importance of multi-tasking which inevitably have become part of our day to day life.

The aim of this paper is to present that English Eanguage can be taught using visual-
entertainment commodities. These are following questions that has became the reason for this
hypothesis

1. Can GET method be more effective for digital era Eearners?

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2. Is there any possibility to kindle the interest of the Learners based on their interests?

3. Learners tend to not spend too much time reading books; many don’t read at all?

4. Can visual media substitute reading?

5. Is Google really helpful than intensive reading?

The possible answer for the research question was the hypothesis of this paper

1. While speaking of inductive and deductive method, many argues with one over the
other but before getting in to the way of teaching, is it not important to look on to how
or what we can teach?. Learners easily get bored to the monotonous lectures and
activities in the class. They expect more from the teachers: a new approach to the
existing concept.

2. Majority of the second language learners in one or other way exposed to
entertainment stuffs, perhaps in some or other way they are over exposed to the
media. This can be used as a tool for Learners’ involvement in the class room.

3. Even in the time spent at the college life Learners look for possible guides rather than
to read the whole novel or any prescribed texts. Secondary sources have become the
replacement of learning process. One cannot say that secondary sources can replace
primary sources but the subordination had been more helpful to the Learners

4. Visual media cannot substitute reading. For instance What Michael Ondaatje depicted
in his The English Patient is not the same of the movie version. Movie or any visual
media cannot have the same verisimilitude of the text

5. Google can be an instant help in understanding the concept but whereas intensive
reading helps attaining clarity with the concept.

Discussion

Classroom teaching method provoked within the Eeamers the learning burden, of

understanding the language and words that they learn from the one way class transactions.

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Possibly the words that they learn beeomes an addition to their ad hoe voeabulary rather
than being in their daily usage. On the other hand learners attain flueney not only by the
teaehers but also by their surroundings. It has always been debated the differenee between
British English and Indian way of speaking English whieh eommands one over the other
as standard form but as Indians we need not have verisimilitude to British standards
because each place has its own dialect and way of pronunciation. Additional to this point,
fluency is another dimension in which a learner should be graded; to develop fluency it is
recommended for the Eeamers to Eisten or watch more of their interest to develop their
communication skill.

Watching or showing interest in movies, comics and series can be a debilitating
influence for the learners but it helps in kindling their interest in understanding the
language. British Linguists from 1920’s and 1930’s A.S. Hornby and Harold Palmer with
their inference on Direct method states that spoken or speaking skills is what that needed
to be taught first in the four skills (LSRW). However listening constitutes speaking, so it
is apparently listening skills that to be developed first within the learners. In the later
phases GET method got its prominence and it has been the standard way of teaching
second language. As GET method suggests, the ultimate goal for the second language
learners is developing communicative competence and not linguistic competence.
Linguistic competence can be second phase of this learning methodology. In the process
of inductive learning the learners are presented with samples of the target language and
then they are taught on the nuances and rules of the language. Eor the sampling process
and development of speaking and listening skills commodities such as Games and TV
series might help commencing the interest among Learners. Gomics on the other hand can
be a medium for beginners to initiates the habit of reading with the peer group.

Problems and Suggestions

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The following hypothesis is with reference to the survey among the sampling of 60

students from first year of Diploma course in a Central Government autonomous college.

The implication from the following learners were that

1. Monotonous lectures have become a cliche ; Learners need innovation which suits
their interests

2. Teaching grammatical rules in a deductive mode make Language classes memorize
rules rather than understanding the concept

3. Writing skill is difficult in incorporation because reading skill is far from their
interests

The suggestions for the following difficulties from the students resulted with the

hypothesis of this paper.

1. Students must be first introduced to listening and speaking skills following which
toward the end reading and writing must be inculcated

2. To teach listening skills: making students listen to you tube videos is a way but to
kindle their interest to get in relation or to make them audience of the language is to
introduce them to the following entertainment commodities

3. Learners should be persuaded in reading at the later stages of language classes. The
persuasion should be to read minimalistic day to day usage words with possible
caricatures for which comics come hand in hand.

Conclusion

Teaching rules and initially introducing second language learners to writing
components is like making them caught in between devil and deep sea. Learners who are
neither exposed to second language in the earlier part of their school days nor any knowledge
related to the language need to be treated with sampling according to their interests. Though
this method cannot be a complete eye opener for the learners, it can still in stir their interest

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over understanding the components of the language. “A learner has no Shame” - Aristotle, a
learner must be devoid of inhibition when he is in the class. Too much fear results with too
much pressure. Any learner is not a scholar but every learner can be a teacher.

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References

Nunan, David, 2003. Practical English Language Teaching. The McGrew- Hill Companies,
12: 247-266.

Green, David, 2017. CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH GRAMMAR STRUCTURES AND
COMPOSITION. Trinity Press, 33: 243-253.